India’s white-collar job market closed 2025 on a high note, with a 13% year-on-year increase in hiring activity in December, as per a recent report. This growth marked the October–December period as the strongest quarter of the year, showing a 9% annual rise and setting a positive tone for 2026. Sectors like hospitality, insurance, and real estate experienced significant hiring surges, with hospitality seeing a 29% jump, insurance a 34% rise, and real estate a 21% increase.
The BPO and IT-enabled services sector, which faced challenges earlier in the year, made a strong comeback in the final quarter. Notably, non-metro cities like Jaipur and Ahmedabad played a crucial role in this growth, witnessing increased hiring activity, particularly in BPO and entry-level positions. High-paying jobs, offering salaries exceeding Rs 20 lakh per annum, saw a 27% overall growth, with cybersecurity roles standing out prominently.
Freshers also benefited from this recovery, with entry-level hiring increasing by 18% by the year-end, primarily driven by non-IT sectors. Sectors like hospitality and insurance led the way in fresher hiring, each registering over 50% growth, followed by BPO and real estate. Smaller cities such as Kochi, Coimbatore, Jaipur, and Ahmedabad significantly contributed to this trend, according to the report.
The report highlighted a 21% year-on-year growth in hiring by unicorns in December, with southern cities like Chennai and Hyderabad emerging as key recruitment hubs, particularly in internet and e-commerce companies. Dr. Pawan Goyal, Chief Business Officer at Naukri, commented on the trend, emphasizing the sustained strength in non-tech sectors in 2025 and the positive outlook for fresh graduates entering 2026.
